Filing of the 2024 Ontario Building Code

The newly harmonized next edition of the Ontario Building Code (OBC) was filed on April 10. Through the streamlining process, the 2024 OBC has eliminated 1,730 technical variations between the provincial and national codes.

Key Dates and Transition Plan

The 2024 OBC will come into effect on January 1, 2025.

Using a Transition Plan, MMAH has extended the lifespan of the 2012 code by nine months, with a three-month extension for permit applications that are “substantially complete” by December 31, 2024, based on requirements of the 2012 code. During this transition period, only one edition of the building code (either 2012 or 2024) can be used in the design and construction of a building. The version of the building code that applies at the time of the permit application is the version that will continue to apply to the building throughout the processes of plan review, permit issuance, construction, inspection and occupancy of buildings.

March 31, 2025, will mark the deadline for permit applications using the 2012 Ontario Building Code, where working drawings were substantially complete before January 1, 2025.

As of April 1, 2025, all permit applications must use the 2024 Ontario Building Code.

Resources

Both the Ontario Amendment document (which constitutes the entire new 2024 Ontario Building Code) and the 2020 National Building Code can be found online or by subscribing to CodeNews and accessing Issue 354, which contains direct links to the documents. OHB

Visit ohba.ca/2024obc for additional member resources.